Woostock Twp. tables mining ordinance amendments

After discussion that lasted more than a half hour, the Woodstock Township Board voted 5-0 at its meeting Monday to table action on a series of amendments to a mineral extraction ordinance.

Proposed language and section changes to the mineral extraction ordinance — a document already in effect — include a mineral extraction fee schedule, changes to the application, licenses, and variances associated with operating a gravel pit near an area where homes exist.

Once approved, the mandates would only go into effect as each aggregate mining operation in the township renews its conditional-use permits.

One of those operations is Woodstock Aggregate, owned by Joe Gentner.

Gentner, who was at the meeting, asked the board to carefully read over the recommended changes and conduct a workshop where he, the board and planning commission can examine the ordinance and its proposed changes.

“It’s important the gravel pit owners have some input,” Gentner said. “I’ve been in the business for 40-plus years. My operation is important to the township’s economy. God put it here; we need to work together to make this right.

“I live in the township; I live near my pit,” Gentner said. “I want to be a good neighbor.”

Board members conceded they either did not read over all the proposed changes or did not fully understand them.

Richard Griggs, the township’s zoning inspector, urged the board to accept the recommendations as prescribed by the planning commission, but only after they fully understand the documents before them.

“How can you vote on something that you don’t completely understand?” he asked the board. Griggs also asked the board to trust the planning commission with the task it was assigned: to make recommended changes to the language of the ordinance. He advised against additional workshops and additional people examining the documents.

“You can bring in input from others, but the planning commission has been trusted with the task,” Griggs said. “But if you have a bunch of people come in and give their input, you might as well bring in coffee and doughnuts because you’re going to be here a long, long time. If you get 14 different people looking at it, you’ll never get anything settled.”